soda.gifHave you noticed in the past few weeks on American Idol how the judges hold their Coca Cola glasses up to the cameras at a specific point in the show? Have you heard Ryan Seacrest mention the name "itunes" repeatedly throughout the show, and then announce that the singer’s performances will be available on itunes for download?


Advertising is so ever present that you may not even notice it anymore.

Watch the Red Sox. See those billboards behind home plate? How about the ones on the monster? What about the on-screen ads that roll across the screen from Budweiser? The NESN logo? The Hood blimp? The home run off the Coke Bottles? The Citgo sign looks nice in the background.

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Who won the Chevy Truck player of the game? What's the answer to the Afflack Trivia Question? What's the Jordan's Furniture sweep deal all about?

And oh yeah...did you see any Dunkin Donuts commercials during the broadcast?


The essential question behind this unit is Does all this advertising come at a cost?


Let’s assume that movies and television are meant to be artistic expressions. What becomes of “art” when it is sacrificed in order to be sure to fit in a few mentions of Coca Cola?


For this WebQuest you will be reading about the history of advertising and viewing examples of product placement and understanding through exploration how our "free" television system works.

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You have been learning all year how to create effective video projects and also to become a critical viewer of television and film. This WebQuest will build upon your previous knowledge and skills on how to reach an audience as you will be asked to create commercials of your own about your school. Part of the assignment will also be to view and evaluate past commercials in order to sharpen your skills in order to create the best possible product for your "clients", your teachers.